"Yes," said Miles-san, "and I'm sure the consul thanks you for keeping mum and preserving his reputation.  Don't you, Vorlynkin?"

Vorlynkin's lips compressed in an expression anything but grateful, but he choked out a, "Certainly."

Then, through what Jin reluctantly recognized as a skillful series of questions—some put to Jin though many to Mina—Miles-san drew out the story of Jin's escape from the custody of his aunt and uncle.  By the time Johannes returned, balancing a stack of pizza boxes, two liters of milk, and more beer, Jin was afraid there wasn't much Miles-san didn't understand about Aunt Lorna, Uncle Hikaru, and cousins Tetsu and Ken.  It made Jin feel uncomfortably exposed.

Miles-san kicked a stepstool to the sink and made Jin and Mina wash their hands, following up himself as if to enforce the good example.  Lieutenant Johannes watched him mount the stepstool, glanced at the impassive Roic, and bit his lip.  Miles-san, the consul, Jin and Mina then sat four around the kitchen table, that being all the chairs there were; Roic and the others leaned against the counter.  Setting out the boxes and a roll of disposable wipes, the lieutenant said, "I checked the comconsole.  Both these kids were reported missing yesterday.  Every police officer in town must be on the lookout for them."

Consul Vorlynkin pressed a hand to the bridge of his nose.

Jin bolted upright in alarm.  "You can't turn us in!"

Miles-san waved him back down.  "No one is doing anything till after we eat."  He looked over the aromatic offering.  "What, no vegetables?  Don't you two need vegetables?"

"No, we don't!" said Mina.  Jin shook his head vigorously in support.

Miles-san bit into his slice.  "Ah, perhaps not.  This does seem very healthy.  And tasty."

Mina, at least, dove readily into the first hot food they'd had for two days.  Jin, overwhelmed by the aroma, followed suit.  The consulate bought good pizza, not the cheapest frozen kind that Aunt Lorna served.  The consul barely sipped his beer, Miles-san had water, and big Roic, to Jin's surprise, after first pouring out for Jin and Mina, helped himself to a small glass of milk.

All this redirection might have worked to calm Jin, except Vorlynkin, after swallowing his first bite, said, "The consulate can't harbor runaways, Lord Vorkosigan.  Their guardians must be frantic."

"We don't want to stay here," said Jin.  "I want to get back to my creatures!"

Miles-san waved his nibbled pizza slice in the air.  "Asylum?"

"That's not amusing even as a joke," said Vorlynkin.  "Do you have any idea of the legal complications involved in giving political asylum to minors?"

"I'm not sure I was joking, exactly," Miles-san said mildly.  "But wait for the children to eat, please."